A hate crime probe has been launched after a ‘vile’ and ‘racist’ effigy of lifejacket-clad small boat migrants was set ablaze on top of a Northern Ireland bonfire.
Signs saying ‘Stop the boats’ and ‘Veterans before refugees’ were also attached to the pyre in the village of Moygashel, near Dungannon, County Tyrone, earlier this week.
Despite widespread condemnation and calls to take it down, the effigy was burned at around 11pm on Thursday, prompting the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to investigate it as a ‘hate incident’.
It was erected as part of the annual loyalist Twelfth of July parades, where Protestants celebrate William of Orange’s victory over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The towering bonfires, built with wooden pallets, are mostly torched on the Tenth and Eleventh Night and have long been synonymous with Protestant culture.
But in recent years, the Moygashel bonfires have come under scrutiny for their controversial displays which have seen them venture into politics and contentious cultural points.
Last year a mock police car was burnt on the top of the bonfire and in 2023 a boat designed to represent the post-Brexit Irish Sea economic border was torched.
The latest display, which was also topped with an Irish tricolour, was branded ‘shameful’.
A hate crime probe has been launched after a ‘vile’ and ‘racist’ effigy of lifejacket-clad small boat migrants was set ablaze on top of a Northern Ireland bonfire
Signs saying ‘Stop the boats’ and ‘Veterans before refugees’ were also attached to the pyre in the village of Moygashel, near Dungannon, County Tyrone, earlier this week
Despite calls to take the it down, the effigy was burned at around 11pm on Thursday, prompting the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to investigate it as a ‘hate incident’
Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan said: ‘It is shameful that the authorities allowed this despicable display of hate to go ahead.
‘What a shocking message to send to local migrant families.
‘It is just weeks since migrant families were forced to flee for their lives when their homes were attacked and set on fire – a chilling pattern of escalating hostility.
‘The authorities must treat this as a hate crime, conduct a full investigation and ensure those responsible are held to account.’
Mr Corrigan added: ‘Racism, xenophobia, and hate have no place here – and that must be made unmistakably clear.’
PSNI said it had received ‘a number of reports’ regarding the bonfire ‘and the material that has been placed upon it’ and that it was now subject to investigation.
It was erected as part of the annual loyalist Twelfth of July parades, where Protestants celebrate William of Orange’s victory over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690
The towering bonfires, built with wooden pallets, are mostly torched on the Tenth and Eleventh Night and have long been synonymous with Protestant culture
In recent years, the Moygashel bonfires have come under scrutiny for their controversial displays which have seen them venture into politics and contentious cultural points
The latest display, which was also topped with an Irish tricolour, was branded ‘vile’ and ‘deplorable’
Sinn Fein’s Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Colm Gildernew called for the bonfire to be taken down before it was burnt
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘Police are investigating this hate incident. Police are here to help those who are or who feel vulnerable, to keep people safe.
‘We do this by working with local communities, partners, elected representatives and other stakeholders to deliver local solutions to local problems, building confidence in policing and supporting a safe environment for people to live, work, visit and invest in Northern Ireland, but we can only do so within the legislative framework that exists.’
Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew said the bonfire ‘was clearly intended to dehumanise people who come to our island seeking a better life’.
He added: ‘The effigies and displays were abhorrent, driven by vile, far-right and racist attitudes.
‘I welcome that police are treating this as a hate incident. It’s vital those responsible are held accountable for their disgusting actions.
‘Diversity, inclusion and equality must always triumph over xenophobia and hate.’
Mr Gildernew said the effigy was ‘a clear incitement to hatred and must be removed immediately’ before it was set ablaze
PSNI said it had received ‘a number of reports’ regarding the bonfire ‘and the material that has been placed upon it’ and that it was now subject to investigation
SDLP leader Claire Hanna also condemned the construction of the bonfire, accusing some involved in the bonfire tradition in Northern Ireland of appearing to be motivated by ‘hate, confrontation and media rows’.
She posted on X: ‘Intricate effigies of humans beings, for burning. Who is this for
Prominent loyalist activist Jamie Bryson insisted the display was a form of ‘artistic protest’, saying: ‘Every year Moygashel bonfire combines artistic protest with their cultural celebration.’
He said on X: ‘Their yearly art has itself become a tradition. This year the focus is on the scandal of mass illegal immigration.’
The Moygashel tower is one of an estimated 300 bonfires that begun being lit in loyalist areas yesterday and will continue into tonight.
The Moygashel tower is one of an estimated 300 bonfires that begun being lit in loyalist areas yesterday and will continue into tonight
The traditional fires are lit ahead of the main date in the parading calendar of Protestant loyal orders, the Twelfth Of July
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland director, described the bonfire as a ‘vile, dehumanising act that fuels hatred and racism’
The placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited has prompted condemnation over recent years
It comes just one month after anti-immigration riots in the town of Ballymena, which saw fireworks and petrol bombs launched at police.
The riots, which lasted for over a week, were sparked after an alleged sexual assault by two teenagers of Romanian descent on a girl from Northern Ireland.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said more than 100 police officers were injured during the riots.
Mr Boutcher said after the riots: ‘We saw hate-filled mobs throw petrol bombs, masonry, fireworks, an axe, at police officers, targeting homes and businesses.
‘They targeted law-abiding, decent families from diverse communities who make Northern Ireland a better place, creating fear in people who simply want to live in peace.
‘I can confirm the final number of injured officers as 107, many with head injuries from masonry and other missiles.
He added: ‘There is no place for such violence, these actions were not about protest, they were attacks on the very fabric of our society.
‘What sort of Northern Ireland do we want to live in?’
